The world may end in 2012 but according to THQ and developer Vigil Games, the Apocalypse could arrive even sooner. January 5 in fact, the day Darksiders is released. It’s one of the coolest action/adventure games that’s coming out in 2010. I first saw this game at E3 2009 and it grabbed my attention right away. I mean, when was the last time you got to play as one of the Four Horsemen? After spending about ten hours with the latest build last week in Los Angeles, Vigil Games managed to still leave me wanting more.

Darksiders follows War, one of the Four Horsemen and a member of The Charred Council. They oversee the balance between Heaven, Earth and Hell. On someone else’s order, that the war between Heaven and Hell is on, War’s arrival prematurely wipes out the entire human race. On top of that, the archangel Abaddon dies at the hands of the demon Straga, giving Hell what they need to take over Earth. Realizing he was set-up, War starts a quest to clear his name and to find The Destroyer, a greater demon who apparently has something to do with your deception.

What is the best way to describe Darksiders? If the Legend of Zelda and God of War had a baby who became one of the Four Horsemen, that would be Darksiders. The gameplay is simple and intuitive, revolving around dungeon style exploration and over-the-top combat. You visit many destroyed locations and fight your way through ghouls and demons, all the while solving some brain-bending puzzles. With games like Darksiders, finding a good balance between puzzles and combat is a true challenge. You don’t want to devote too much time to running around turning switches on and off or, on the contrary, to fighting countless waves of enemies ad nauseum. The action is palpable and there’s a lot of fighting in Darksiders (it is the Armageddon after all) but it’s never monotonous, especially considering the character you get to play.

Of course, being a Horsemen of the Apocalypse does have its perks. You get a vast array of upgradeable powers, ablities and weapons that fit in with your destructive nature. Whether you’re armed with the Chaoseater sword, the Harvester scythe, the Tremor Gauntlet or the throwable Crossblade; lots of demon blood will be spilled. Since you are accused of treason by the Council, you your powers are stripped before you’re sent back to Earth to find the real traitor. Luckily, as the story progresses, you will earn back your powers but you will also get to improve them thanks to Vulgrim, a demon who is willing to help you in exchange for the souls of your enemies. These souls, specifically the blue ones, are your currency. Your fallen enemies and objects will also drop yellow (used to build up your special power bar) and green (fill your life meter) souls.

Darksiders doesn’t re-invent the action/adventure genre but it does bring something fresh to it. The imaginative creative direction from comic book creator Joe Madureira really makes the game stand out as a unique experience that wouldn’t look out of place next to other great narrative-based games such as Batman Arkham Asylum, Overlord or Bioshock.

It’s also the first game of 2010, and that’s not a bad way to get our New Year off to a good start. Expect the full review of Darksiders a few days prior to launch date.